Positive future for Irish Open

News:Those naysayers in our midst will have to bite their tongues for a little while yet, as it seems that it is not all doom and gloom on the golfing front.

Indeed, one misfortune is another's gain; at least as far as the Irish Open at Adare Manor on May 15th-18th is concerned, with a new survey revealing a positive future for what is now the only full European Tour event in this country following the demise of the European Open which is moving back to England.

The survey, called "Golf in Ireland - The Next Generation", was conducted by leading Dublin-based agency Onside Sponsorship for Tom and Judy Kane, the owners of Adare Manor resort, and found that one in 10 of those surveyed who are not yet members of a golf club intend to join one within the next five years.

According to a separate KPMG Golf Benchmark Survey last week, golf is already more popular in Ireland than any other country in Europe, the Middle East or Africa with one in 15 of the population (seven per cent) a member of a golf club, which compares with Scotland (five per cent), Wales (2.4 per cent) and England (1.9 per cent). Sweden (at six per cent) is closest to Ireland.

However, the Onside survey, conducted by John Trainor, the managing director of Onside, was aimed at determining the impact of the Irish Open, one of the oldest events on the European Tour, on the Irish public. Now operating without a title sponsor but with a number of partners and subsidiary sponsors, the new-look tournament - won last year by Pádraig Harrington - impacted with 66 per cent of those surveyed aware that the Irish Open took place at Adare Manor.

Among the key findings in the survey, announced last evening, were: golf is the number one sport that Irish people are interested in becoming involved in over the next five years; 800,000 Irish people have participated, attended or viewed golf in the past year; 46 per cent of people considered the Irish Open to be a key event on the Irish sporting calendar, while 52 per cent of people thought it a "good idea" for companies to be involved in sponsorship of the tournament.

It is estimated that some 135 million is spent annually on sports sponsorship in Ireland, with the main sponsorships involving the All-Ireland hurling and football championships and the Irish soccer and rugby teams.

"The results in this report have put paid to the perception that interest levels in golf in Ireland had already peaked in 2006 (with the Ryder Cup). Not only are interest levels up amongst people looking to get more involved with golf, but the potential of golf to the corporate sector is also born out," said Trainor.

Tom Kane, who took the decision to underwrite the tournament up to 2009 after Nissan ended its title sponsorship, was encouraged by the findings of the study. "This research reflects a genuine belief amongst the Irish people that the Irish Open is a key part of the sporting calendar and an event with a massive tradition. I'm sure the interest levels for this year's event will rise even further with Pádraig Harrington returning to defend his title on back of his spectacular British Open triumph and added interest should be buoyed by the rise of Rory McIlroy and the absence of the European Open."

Indeed, Harrington's defence of his Irish Open title in May will be the first time this year that he plays in Europe. The Dubliner has decided to concentrate entirely on playing in tournaments in the United States up to then, with this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am marking the start of a concerted early-season campaign across the Atlantic that also takes in next week's LA Open, the following week's Accenture Matchplay as well as a three-tournament stint in March-April that includes tournaments in New Orleans and Houston to take him up to the US Masters at Augusta. Harrington has recovered from a bout of shingles which laid him low for the past fortnight.

Graeme McDowell, meanwhile, has improved 22 places to 88th in the latest world rankings following on from his fifth place finish in the Dubai Desert Classic.

McDowell is one of three Irish players competing in this week's Indian Masters in Delhi, where he is joined by Damien McGrane and Darren Clarke.